Today's News: June 03, 2020

U.S. News, Politics & Government

Lara Logan details evidence rioters have ‘well-developed political agenda and they’re carrying it out’

Fox – Fox Nation host Lara Logan, who has done extensive reporting on the far-left extremist group Antifa, told “The Ingraham Angle” Tuesday that members of the radical organization are conducting a coordinated effort to undermine the country by capitalizing on the turmoil in the streets of America’s cities.
“There are numerous incidents and mounting evidence of anarchist involvement in these protests,” Logan said. “They are not just exploiting and hijacking it but coordinating it and escalating it.”
On Sunday, Attorney General William Barr said that Antifa is responsible for at least some of the destructive riots across America in the wake of the May 25 death of George Floyd.
“What’s interesting about what they do is they intercept police communications. They monitor police traffic. They use secure communications,” explained Logan. “They know where the police are going to go and they know how to stop law enforcement responding to these incidents. And all of that is about escalation.”
Logan said the effort by these “anarchists” is eerily “consistent” across America, which speaks to their “real organization, real infrastructure, training, funding, [and] financing.”
” They are operating always with the … same tactics, they happen be on every single street in every single city … they are using the same messaging everywhere,” she explained. “…. And the kind of equipment they are using? This is not some emotional outpouring, these are people who have a very well developed political agenda and they are carrying it out.”

Saks Fifth Avenue flagship store wrapped in razor wire to prevent looting

Fox – Saks Fifth Avenue surrounded its flagship Manhattan store with razor wire on Tuesday to keep thieves from smashing their way in and making off with troves of expensive merchandise, The Post has learned.
The luxury retailer has also hired private security guards with specially trained dogs to protect the premises in the wake of Monday night’s looting of Macy’s iconic, Herald Square location.
At Saks, workers on Tuesday afternoon began attaching chain-link fencing to plywood that was previously installed to cover the luxury store’s famed display windows.
The second phase of the job saw workers further fortify the fencing with a coil of razor wire along the top edge.
At least seven German shepherds, Belgian Malinois and pit bull dogs were also on hand, along with guards who will use them to patrol outside the store in an attempt to deter looters amid the ongoing protests over the racially charged, May 25 police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Trump says GOP ‘forced’ to seek other state to host convention, slamming North Carolina governor

Fox – President Trump announced late Tuesday that Republicans are “forced” to seek another state to host their convention, saying North Carolina’s governor was “still in Shelter-In-Place Mode” and had “refused to guarantee that we can have use of the Spectrum Arena” in Charlotte, despite earlier assurances.
The president didn’t name an alternative venue. Earlier in the day, GOP officials said they had started visiting potential alternative sites after Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, told them the coronavirus pandemic required them to prepare for a scaled-back event if they wanted to hold it in Charlotte.
“Had long planned to have the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, a place I love,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Now, @NC_Governor Roy Cooper and his representatives refuse to guarantee that we can have use of the Spectrum Arena – Spend millions of dollars, have everybody arrive, and then tell them they will not be able to gain entry. Governor Cooper is still in Shelter-In-Place Mode, and not allowing us to occupy the arena as originally anticipated and promised. Would have showcased beautiful North Carolina to the World, and brought in hundreds of millions of dollars, and jobs, for the State. Because of @NC_Governor, we are now forced to seek another State to host the 2020 Republican National Convention.”

Minneapolis school board votes to end contract with police

Fox – The Minneapolis Public Schools Board of Education voted Tuesday to terminate its contract with the police department following the death of George Floyd on May 25.
The Minneapolis Police Department has reportedly worked with the school system for decades.
The decision by the school board comes the same day the Minnesota Department of Human Rights (MDHR) announced they would be launching an investigation into “systemic discriminatory practices towards people of color” in the MDP.
The MDHR also filed a civil rights charge against the department, following the death of George Floyd who died in police custody.
“Recent actions of officers in the Minneapolis Police Department run directly counter to the values the District seeks in partner,” said MPS Board Chair Kim Ellison in a statement Tuesday.
“The District has decided the current contract and any continuing contract for services with the Minneapolis Police Department do not align with the priorities of the District’s equity and social emotional learning goals.”

Protesters Showed Up In Coeur d’Alene, Idaho But The Locals Made Sure That There Would Be No Riots

Michael Snyder – When word started spreading that the same protesters that had just broken windows and looted stores in Spokane were going to come to Coeur d’Alene, hundreds of citizens mobilized to protect their community. So when the protesters did show up on Monday night, they quickly discovered that a very heavily armed “welcoming committee” was waiting for them. Just like most Americans all over the country, most residents of north Idaho were absolutely horrified by the death of George Floyd, and there seems to be an overwhelming consensus that the police officer that killed him needs to be brought to justice. But most residents of north Idaho have also been absolutely horrified by the violent riots that have erupted in cities from coast to coast, and they sure don’t want the same thing to happen in their neck of the woods.
If you are not familiar with the geography of the area, Coeur d’Alene is not very far from the city of Spokane, Washington, and there had been quite a bit of rioting in Spokane on Sunday night.
In fact, one local news source described it as “a frenzied night of tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bangs” as police worked tirelessly to end the vandalism and looting. At one point, the Spokane Police Department actually sent out a cellphone alert warning everyone in the region to “avoid the downtown core area”…
In the aftermath of that horrible night, word began to spread that protesters were planning to show up in Coeur d’Alene on Monday night, and that is precisely what happened…
Protesters gathered outside of the WinCo Foods in Coeur d’Alene on Monday evening.
An assistant general manager at the store told KREM that he estimated there were 40-50 protesters in front of the store as of about 6:40 p.m. on Monday evening. Most of the crowd had dispersed by 11 p.m. according to a KREM reporter.
But there were no riots, because the protesters discovered that they were vastly outnumbered by the locals that were waiting to “welcome” them.
A reporter for the Coeur d’Alene Press was in the downtown area on Monday evening, and he reported that “hundreds of citizens” had mobilized to protect the city…
Soon, more armed men, self-described as a loosely formed group of patriots, arrived. They took up posts at corners on both sides of Sherman Avenue.
Later, they were joined by hundreds of citizens packing rifles, semi-automatic weapons, handguns, and bows and arrows.
The sidewalks were packed with people walking up and down Sherman Avenue, firearms proudly displayed for all to see.
You can see a lot more photos of these brave citizens patrolling the streets right here.

Donald Trump Jr urges Barr to release Antifa communications with elites & politicians over riots

RR – President Donald Trump’s son Donald Jr is pushing Attorney General William Barr to release communications between Antifa rioters that allegedly reveal the group’s connections with politicians and other elite figures.
The younger Donald urged Barr to “just do it!!!” in a tweet on Wednesday, referring to rumors that the attorney general is poised to expose links between the “violent radical elements” that Barr denounced in an earlier statement and the politicians and elites believed to be backing them.
Barr blamed the violence that has overshadowed “peaceful and legitimate protests” over the police killing of George Floyd last week on “groups of outside radicals and agitators” exploiting the unrest to “pursue their own separate, violent, and extremist agenda” in a statement released on Sunday.
The AG echoed the words of President Trump, who has repeatedly declared the rioters domestic terrorists, and urged state governors to make use of the National Guard in cracking down on the unruly mobs.
“The violence instigated and carried out by Antifa and other similar groups in connection with the rioting is domestic terrorism and will be treated accordingly,” the attorney general warned in the statement.
Many of Trump’s political nemeses have expressed support for the demonstrations, glossing over the violent elements. Trump supporters, meanwhile, have blamed much of the violence on paid provocateurs backed by currency speculator George Soros and other left-wing bogeymen.

Why Can Cops Use Chemicals Weapons That Are Banned In Warfare During Protests?

Activist Post – Over the past 100 years, the use of tear gas has become ubiquitous among the police and military forces of authoritarian regimes all over the world. This chemical agent is commonly used, and is often called a “less-lethal weapon” by authorities and their supportive media, which causes many people to forget that this is a chemical weapon that is banned in warfare by the Geneva Convention. Sadly, people all around the world have become desensitized to this chemical weapon being used in the streets of their neighborhood.
Jamil Dakwar, director of the human rights program with the American Civil Liberties Union, says that tear gas was initially developed during the first World War for use on the battlefield, and while the chemicals have since been refined for use against protesters, they can still be extremely dangerous and sometimes even fatal. He also pointed out that the risk of hurting or injuring innocent people is extremely high with a weapon like this.
“In general, it could be lethal. In fact, there are incidents where people were killed by these canisters. The problem with tear gas is that it’s also an indiscriminate weapon. If you think about the way that it’s being deployed, it doesn’t really distinguish between young people and elderly, the healthy and the sick, people who are peaceful protesters or those who are using violence. But the idea is that this has become the first trigger — the first thing that law enforcement would use — as if it is going to be the way to de-escalate and end the protest. Most of the time, it’s really used to suppress protest and that’s really one of the fundamental problems with it,” Dakwar told PRI.
Despite chemical weapons being banned in international conflicts, individual governments insisted on the power to use the gas against its own citizens, because they claimed that it was their only option to suppress demonstrations without using lethal force. However, this excuse entirely ignores that allowing the protesters to demonstrate, or succumbing to their demands could be a potential option.
The use of these chemical agents on protesters sends a clear message that their voice is not welcome and that their demands will not be taken seriously by authorities. In many cases, the use of tear gas causes further blowback from protesters, and does little to de-escalate conflicts between protesters and police. This was seen during the past week’s protests in Minneapolis, where demonstrations were largely peaceful until the streets were filled with tear gas.

Florida Sheriff Tells Residents to Shoot Looters Breaking Into Homes As Local Police Officers Offer Protesters Free Hugs

Newsweek – Florida sheriff warned residents that looters could be shot amid protests over the death of George Floyd, while other police officers in the county held signs offering “free hugs” to demonstrators.
Sheriff Grady Judd of Polk County extended the area’s curfew on Monday while also noting that potential rioters could face retaliation from local gun owners. He cautioned would-be agitators against provoking or causing any destruction.
“The people of Polk County like guns, they have guns,” Judd said, WFLA News Channel 8 reported.
“I would tell them, if you value your life, you probably shouldn’t do that in Polk County,” the sheriff warned. “I encourage them to own guns, and they’re going to be inside their homes tonight with their guns loaded. And if you try to break into their homes tonight and try to steal, to set fires, I’m highly recommending they blow you back out of the house with their guns.”
Meanwhile, officers with the Auburndale Police Department in Polk County attended a local demonstration on Monday while holding signs offering “free hugs” to protesters. Another officer held a sign reading: “don’t blame all for actions of few.

West Palm Beach Mayor Bans Guns, Ammo Sales in Response to Rioters

Breitbart – West Palm Beach Florida Mayor Keith James declared a 72-hour State of Local Emergency on May 31, 2020, in response to riotous protests and the declaration includes a ban on gun and ammunition sales throughout the city.
The declaration is published online begins by positing there “has been an act of violence or a flagrant and substantial defiance of, or resistance to, a lawful exercise of public authority.”
It continues by maintaining there is further risk of acts of violence and/or defiance of authority, including “widespread disobedience of the law, and substantial injury to persons or to property; all of which constitutes an imminent threat to public peace or order and to the general welfare of the City of West Palm Beach.”
Therefore, he declared a State of Local Emergency which bans “the sale of, or offer to sell, with or without consideration, any ammunition or gun or other firearm of any size of [sic] description.”
His declaration also bans “the intentional display by or in any store or shop of any ammunition or gun or other firearm of any size or description.”
James’ declarati

McCaskill: Americans Don’t Believe Trump Is Christian — ‘He’s Never Read the Bible’

Breitbart- Tuesday on MSNBC’s “Deadline,” network political commentator former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) accused President Donald Trump of not being Christian while commenting on Trump holding the Bible during his visit to St. John’s Church on Monday.

Tucker Carlson: ‘What You Are Watching Is Class War Disguised as a Race War’

Breitbart -Tuesday on Fox News Channel’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” host Tucker Carlson dismissed the nation was in the midst of a race war and argued the fault lines were instead along class divisions.
Carlson pointed to the downsizing of the middle class, and he maintained there are those stoking the flames of racial difference to hide what was happening to the country economically.

Economy & Business

US to block Chinese airlines from flying into the US

CNN – The US government says it will block Chinese airlines from flying into the US in response to what it says is a policy that has prevented US carriers from service between the two countries.
The Transportation Department restrictions will take effect June 16 but could be enacted earlier if President Donald Trump decides to do so.
It says the Chinese government is violating an agreement between the two countries for international travel by preventing United Airlines and Delta Air Lines from resuming the trans-oceanic flights. Those airlines had asked to resume service on June 1.
United, Delta, and American suspended service to China due to the coronavirus pandemic. The US government also instituted travel restrictions to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

Energy & Environment

Study: Living Near Oil Wells Increases Risk of Low-Weight Babies

Newsmax – Pregnant women who live near active oil and gas wells may be at risk for having low birth weight infants, a new study suggests.
Researchers analyzed nearly 3 million births to Californians living within six miles of an oil or gas well between 2006 and 2015.
It was found that women living within less than a mile of a well were 40% more likely to have low birth weight infants and 20% more likely to have babies who were small for their gestational age, compared with women who lived farther away from wells.
“Being born of low birth weight or small for gestational age can affect the development of newborns and increase their risk of health problems in early childhood and even into adulthood,” said researcher Rachel Morello-Frosch, a professor of public health and environmental science, policy and management at the University of California, Berkeley.
Full-term babies near wells were an average of 1.3 ounces (36 grams) smaller than babies who were not near wells, according to the findings.
“When you see a shift of over 30 grams of birth weight among term infants, from an individual clinical perspective, it may not seem like a lot,” Morello-Frosch said in a university news release. “But when you see that kind of large population shift in birth weight — that can have significant population level implications for infant and children’s health.”

Science & Technology

Police Use Contact Tracing And Big Tech To Identify Protesters

Activist Post – Countless warnings about how law enforcement could use contact tracing apps to monitor people have gone unheeded.
As BGR.com revealed, police are using contact tracing to identify protesters’ affiliations.
According to Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner John Harringon, officials there have been using what they describe, without going into much detail, as contact-tracing in order to build out a picture of protestor affiliations — a process that officials in the state say has led them to conclude that much of the protest activity there is being fueled by people from outside coming in.
A Twitter feed titled “Minnesota Contact Tracing” revealed how police are using contact tracing to identify and arrest protesters. “Minnesota Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington says they’ve begun contact tracing arrestees.”
Recently, 100 human rights groups warned that an Apple/Google contact tracing app could be used as a cover to identify activists and minorities.
An increase in state digital surveillance powers, such as obtaining access to mobile phone location data, threatens privacy, freedom of expression and freedom of association, in ways that could violate rights and degrade trust in public authorities—undermining the effectiveness of any public health response. Such measures also pose a risk of discrimination and may disproportionately harm already marginalized communities.
So despite all assurances to the contrary, it appears that 100 human rights groups were right; law enforcement can and will use contact tracing to identify protesters.
As NBC News noted, contact tracers also use geofencing to help identify protesters.

Health

Good News: Study Finds This Type Of Grain May Lower Your Diabetes Risk

Mind Body Green – Heavy meals or sugary desserts tend to give carbohydrates a bad rap. While some can increase blood sugar levels, not all carbs have adverse health effects. In fact, certain carb sources have actually been proven to have positive benefits on both cardiovascular and metabolic disease. To further support that evidence, a recent research review found whole grains may lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
The research is being presented at Nutrition 2020 Live Online, a virtual conference held by American Society for Nutrition (ASN).
What did the researchers find?
Researchers analyzed more than 200,000 people from three different studies. They found people who ate high-quality carbs, like whole grains, were less likely to get type 2 diabetes than people who ate low-quality carbs, like refined grains and high sugar foods.
In the review, researchers also examined the effects of replacing monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, trans fat, animal protein, and vegetable protein with high-quality carbs. Based on data, the quality carbs had a greater impact on lowering diabetes risk, regardless of the macronutrient it was replacing.
Why does this matter?
People diagnosed with or at risk for type 2 diabetes are often told to limit their carbohydrate intake, but this research proves not all carbs are problematic. Finding the right source of carbohydrates (like these ancient grains or R.D.-approved healthy carbs) can have positive benefits.
“These results highlight the importance of distinguishing between carbohydrates from high- and low-quality sources when examining diabetes risk,” lead author of the study Kim Braun, Ph.D., said in a news release.